Polish



Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES rousn Martin J. Seuberling, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Vegetable Oils Specialty Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio No Drawing. Application August 23, 1935, Serial No. 37,508

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid polish of the emulsion type for brightening the appearance of finished Wood, metal and like surfaces, and also relatesto a method of making the same.

More particularly, the inventionrelates to a liquid polish embodying the virtues in finishing of so-called French polish, but not attended by the great difficulties of application which characterize the latter.

French polish, as the term is used, refers to the old-fashioned method of polishing surfaces, especially wood, by vigorously and strenuously applying amixture of shellac and oil with a rag, and continuing rubbing with the rag until the shellac becomes dry and the surface presents a lustrous and somewhat burnished appearance.

The term French polish is almost synonymous with hard work. This invention .discloses a means for obtaining a polish of such characteristics without the necessity of vigorous rubbing or burnishing. i

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a polish which is cheap to make but very effective to use for polishing Wood or metal, vary nish or lacquered surfaces.

A polish manufactured from a shellac and 011 base while diflicult to obtain, presents after its application, a surface of very superior qualities. In the first instance, the polish film is of aharder nature and not susceptible to the usual marring polishes. Secondly, the surface so prepared is not comprised of oxidizable substances and hence retains its lustre without dulling for an appreciably longer period than does the wax 'or wax emulsion type of polish. In another aspect the resultant shellac and oil film obtained is free from the disadvantage of water or rain spotting. These characteristics make the composition disclosed herein admirably adapted to use in the polishing of automobiles and the like.

Briefly, the invention disclosed herein comprises a liquid polish responsive to these objects, and which is superior to the substances heretofore available in that it does a better job of relusteriza ing the original finish of a given wood or metal surface, in that it requires no preferred procedure in use to obtain best results, in that it does not water spot, and in that it may be applied to the whole of a given surface to be treated, e. g., an automobile or piece of furniture, and thereafter the whole surface subsequently wiped oil and lusterized as distinguished from the conventional way and necessity of treating and then polishing subdivided increments of the whole of a given surface.

To achieve the resultant qualities of a French polish, While circumventing the objectionable necessity of vigorousness in the polishing operation, constitutes an appreciable problem. A

characterizing so-called wax orwax emulsion shellac and oil mixture is thick and heavy and difiicult to use correctly. The conventional solvents for shellac are likewise the conventional solvents for most types of finishes and therefore an attempt to reduce the viscosity of the liquid by such materials is dangerous. Both shellac and oil are incompatible with water. Hence, water, as a diluent, if associated with the other components in a conventional emulsifying manner, is not satisfactory because of the rapidity of separation, and failure of consistency and results. Furthermore, attempts to emulsify the shellac and oil in the water in the conventional manner are likewise unsatisfactory.

I have devised a composition which includes in its ingredients shellac, oil, water, and an abrasive wherein the components are so related that the foregoing objectives in polishing are readily accomplished by first associating the shellac and oil with the abrasive particles as a filmcoating therefor, and then Wetting and clispersing in'aqueous solution the discrete particles so enfilmed. The method aspect of the invention resides in the means by which the composition is effected.

The preferred ingredients of my composition are liquid shellac, mineral oil, an abrasive such as diatomaceous earth or tripoli, water, glycerine, and a dispersion stabilizer, or interfacial tension depressant such as soybean phosphatides dissolved in a small. quantity of alcohol or other suitable solvent. The mineral seal oil is preferably of a viscosity heavier than kerosene but completely volatile. The mineral seal oil and the shellac are associated with the abrasive particles as film-like coatings. These in turn are rendered wettable by the water and glycerine solution through the interfacial tension depressing action of the soybean phosphatides, the latter substance in turn further assisting in maintaining the dispersed particles in appropriate relation throughout the mass of liquid so constituted.

A preferred formula is set forth below by way of example.

Formula for 4 gallons:

Pounds Shellac (orange-White) 1% Alcohol and 2 oz. soybean phosphatides Mineral seal oil 8% Diatomaceous earth 5 Water 17 Glycerine A;

A diatomaceous earth may be of the filter cell grade or, if a. less vigorous abrasive or cleaning agent is desired, air floated diatomaceous earth may be used. Equally suited to use and of slightly better cleaning action than diatomaceous earth alone is a mixture of air floated diatomaceous the process by means of which the abrasive or cleaning agent is enfilmed with shellac and mineral oil. This process comprises first placing the appropriate amounts of shellac and mineral oil into a tank and mixing them together until the mixture is of uniform consistency and thereafter or simultaneously adding to this mixture the soybean phosphatides in a suitable solvent such as alcohol. To the mixture so constituted is added and mixed the desired quantity of cleaning powder or abrasive. Upon mixing the mass becomes of a thick and plastic consistency, not unlike the consistency of dough or wood putty. In this operation the particles of the abrasive are wetted and entrained within the French polish component of the composition. Finally, water in the desired quantity is added to reduce the consistency of the mixture to an appropriately liquid state.

From sixteen to twenty-five pounds of water, using the indicated percentages in the example listed heretofore, may be used'without dispelling shellac from the mixture. A slight precipitation occurs if a larger quantity of water is used, and this precipitate is similar in appearance to small chunks of wood. As an aid to suspension a small quantity of bentonite may be used. From about one-half percent to about two percent is very effective.

Too great deviation in the sequence steps of the process disclosed above should be avoided because the components of the polish are inherently incompatible and their proper assimilation is otherwise quite difficult.

The polish prepared according to the disclosure herein is applied to the surface in the conventional manner with a soft rag and with a gentle rubbing motion. During this period the abrasive removes any dirt film or the like and after removal, there is disposed upon the surface thus easily wetted a thin but adequate film of French polish.

The glycerine in the compost In this operation divisional portions of the whole surface need not be separately treated, but rather the entire surface to be polished can be gone over during the application step, and thereafter gone over in the final polishing step. In

this polishing operation the surface so treated is preferably wiped with a clean rag in several passes, after which the surface is left in a brilliant and pleasing condition.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A wood and metal polish, which comprises, abrasive particles enfilmed with a coating of shellac and mineral oil, said particles dispersed in water solution by the aid of an interfacial tension depressant, the composition by virtue of the relationship possessing the capacity to apply shellac evenly and uniformly to a. surface as the abrasive removes dirt film from the surface.

2. As a new product, a polish for wood and metal surfaces, which polish comprises, abrasive particles, carrying in film-like manner a coating of shellac and mineral seal oil, said abrasive containing soybean phosphatides, the said product when applied with a rag, possessing the capacity to provide the film of shellac on a surface as the abrasive removes dirt from the surface homogeneously dispersed in aqueous solution.

3. As a new product, a polish for wood and metal surfaces, containing shellac, mineral oil, finely divided particles of abrasive and Water, in which composition approximately one and threefourths parts of shellac and approximately eight and three-fourths parts of oil are carried by approximately five and one-half parts of abrasive, and the particles of abrasive carrying the shellac and oil homogeneously are dispersed in the water, the shellac and the oil components forming a film coating for the particles of abrasive.

4. As a new product, a polish for wood and metal surfaces, containing shellac, mineral oil, finely divided particles of abrasive and water, in which composition approximately one and threefourths parts of shellac and. approximately eight and three-fourths parts of oil are carried by approximately five and one-half parts of abrasive and the particles of abrasive carrying the shellac and oil homogeneously are dispersed in the water in the presence of soybean phosphatides, the said shellac and oil components forming a film coating upon the surface of the particles of abrasive.

MARTIN J. SEUBERLING. 

